Edwards wants to raise Louisiana minimum wage, close gender gap

(WWL.com) -- Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has several items he would like to accomplish in the 2018 regular legislative session when it convenes March 12th.

Edwards will once again ask legislators to increase the minimum wage. 18 states increased their minimum wage January 1st. He says $7.25 an hour is not enough for hard working Louisiana families.

"The federal minimum wage here in 2018 is wholly insufficient and we need to increase that so working men and women have a fair opportunity to get ahead and support themselves."

Edwards says he’ll also seek Legislative support to close the gender pay gap that exists in private businesses.

"Which is the worst in the country, right here in Louisiana. It ought to offend everybody sitting here, between what we pay men and women when they have similar qualifications doing the same job."

Edwards says he feels there is an overabundance of state licensing boards, 71 of them, and most need to be eliminated. By doing so, he says it would help small businesses trying to start up in Louisiana.

"I think we're the only state that licenses florists. I think we ought to a look at that. That's another thing we can do for small business people, not just for florists but for people across the board."